Nutpisit Suthamtewakul, owner of the Happy Bowl Thai restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), that Alexis was also a "heavy drinker."

He said the pair became drinking buddies and that had Alexis told him about a disagreement he was having with his neighbour over noise issues.

Mr Suthamtewakul told the WSJ he had invited Alexis, who spoke fluent Thai, to work at his restaurant but that the alleged gunman had once walked around the premises with his shirt raised, revealing a gun in his waistband.